


I'm rattled this time, can someone lift my chin?

by snflower



Category: Snowpiercer (TV 2020)
Genre: Between Episodes, Gen, Post 1x09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:41:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29910903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snflower/pseuds/snflower
Summary: After the revolution, Javi gives back an item to its rightful owner.
Relationships: Melanie Cavill & Javier "Javi" de La Torre
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	I'm rattled this time, can someone lift my chin?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, first "real" (as in not prompted) fic for this fandom! Although this was written under two hours instead of sleeping, so I'm not sure what it's worth but it's one of my fav headcanon of mine so I hope you like it!
> 
> Fic title is from Bring Me Home by G Flip

It’s almost as if he could feel the picture burning a hole inside the pocket of his jumpsuit.

But Javi wasn’t necessarily thinking when he saw LJ eyeing the photo of Melanie and her daughter. A photo he knew very well Melanie liked to keep close, to see every day. So as the first class argued yet again about trivialities, Javi watched LJ and her little sadistic smile on the corner of her lips and he took a decision- he was going to get it back. When things between first class members once more got agitated, LJ put the picture in her jeans back pocket to admire the show, he moved quickly and nicked it.

A day, a second change of side and one rescue mission later, he was now the one who had the picture in his pocket and he still hadn’t found the right moment to give it back to its rightful owner.

He was at the helm when Melanie came back to the engine to change, finally getting rid of her hospitality uniform after all that happened.

“Ben,” he said to catch the attention of the other engineer. “Just make sure everything is okay in here, I need to step out for a second.”

“You alright?”

“I just need to talk to Mel.” Ben’s brows only furrowed at that, confused at the explanation he had just been given. It took him a moment until he shrugged and took the chair Javi previously occupied.

“Sure.”

He made his way to her bunk room and knocked on the door. It only took a second before he heard a muffled ‘ _yeah?’_ through the door.

“You’re decent?” He said, only half-joking, and the door opened in an instant with Melanie greeting him from the other side.

“Of course, I’m decent, no one wants a repeat of the last time you entered without knocking first.” She laughed while he shuddered at the memory.

“First _and_ last time.” He pointed out. “Thank god, for that.”

“Yeah thankfully.” She said at the same time, and they laughed.

The laughter died down and the moment broke when he heard her sigh heavily, an awkward silence settling between the two of them. He looked around her room, clearly, she had tried to tidy up a little the mess LJ and even Ruth had done when they entered her room. It was still messy, not that Melanie usually had a clean bunk but some books and clothes were still on the floor. The only clean part of the room was the desk, the flying papers were now stacked again and so were the notebooks.

“Everything okay with the engine, Javi?” He heard her ask, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Oh, yes. This isn’t why I’ve come.” He assured her and Melanie’s head tilted in question. It made sense, they rarely talked about anything else these days, and the thought saddened him. It felt weird, he realized, being in a room alone with Melanie. He hardly remembered the last time it had happened.

He pulled the picture out of his pocket and hold it out for her. Without any added words, he watched her take it and gasp as she recognized it.

“How-How did you get it back?” She asked, her fingers gently lingering on the photo.

“Stole it back from LJ when she wasn’t paying attention.” He said proudly. Melanie finally looked up, giving him a small smile as their eyes met. “It didn’t feel right for her to have it.”

“No, it didn’t.” She agreed. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” After all, it felt like the most logical thing to do. And the idea that he pissed LJ off by taking back her latest source of satisfaction was sort of thrilling. “It’s what friends do.”

The smile she gave him was short-lived.

“I got so mad when I saw her with it.” Her tone was bitter, almost like she was mad at herself for reacting. “She was taunting me with it and I didn’t care about keeping the act anymore. Not very smart.

“Who cares if it wasn’t.” Melanie scoffed. “Look, I don’t have many pictures, but if someone had stolen them from me and used them against me? I’d have lost it too.”

“I wish I hadn’t.”

“It doesn’t change anything. We knew it was a matter of time before we were found out, it just happened to take seven years. You didn’t screw anything up.”

“But I did.” She said, her voice suddenly sounding smaller as she looked down at the picture still in her hands.

No answers felt right.

Melanie moved to her closet and retrieved a small box just above the hanging rail. Javi silently observed her as she put the picture in it, keeping it safe from other’s eyes. Away from her eyes. He now noticed that the other picture he knew she kept glued to her closet’s door was also missing.

She closed her closet and handed him the box.

“Can you keep it safe for me?” She asked him anxiously, all in one breath. “Keep it in your bunk, hidden somewhere?”

“Of course.” He agreed without hesitation but it didn’t lessen is confusion. “You should keep them.”

“I’ll find other ways to remember her.” She assured him, basically forcing the box in his hands. “But when I’ll go, I don’t want any of these to fall into the wrong hands.”

“If you’re sure-”

“I trust you.”

That surprised him.

“Maybe let me look at them once in a while?” A small chuckle escaped her lips but it almost sounded like a sob.

And that made his chest hurt.

Surprisingly, even to himself, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest, but she didn’t push him away, wrapping his arms around his back tighter.

“Of course, Mel.” The silence settled in the small room as they hugged and they stayed like that for a few seconds, comfortable in each other’s embrace. “I know we haven’t been in the best of terms lately, but I want you to know that I’m sorry I betrayed you for second there.” He blurted out and he swore he heard Melanie snort at that, probably at his unexpected admission.

If he were a bit more honest, he’d probably admit that saying it made his chest feel a thousand times lighter.

Instead, he remained silent, waiting for her answer. She left his arms, passing a discreet thumb under her eye.

“I can’t blame you for protecting yourself.”

“Maybe you should.”

“We’ve all made questionable decisions, Javi.” It felt like she was scolding him. “You took one in the spun of the moment when you believed you were going to die. No added guilt okay? We’ve all had enough, including you.”

“No guilt.”

“Good man.” She nodded, squeezing his arm.

Melanie started picking clothes off the floor and he took it as his cue to leave.

“I need to get back to the helm,” he explained and before he could turn around and leave her to her things, she stopped him.

“Thank you.” She simply said, and it was enough. “For the pictures, and-and for saving me. I didn’t think anyone’s was coming.”

“Anytime.” He repeated his previous promise, meaning it, now more than ever.

The box under his arm, a smile on his face at the second wind in his and Melanie’s friendship, he made a quick detour to his room with every intent to find the best place for her photos.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on @eternalengineer on tumblr :))


End file.
